1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to rolling mill oil film bearings, and is concerned in particular with a system for monitoring and interpreting various parameters representative of bearing operating conditions, and for generating appropriate alarms when such parameters are out of defined safe ranges.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a typical rolling mill installation, the necks of the rolls are rotatably supported in bearings, and in many cases those bearings are oil film bearings. Oil film bearings include sleeves received on and fixed relative to the roll necks. The sleeves are journalled for rotation in bushings fixed within chocks, the latter being supported in roll housings. A flow of oil is introduced between the sleeves and bushings, allowing the sleeves to rotate on films of oil hydrodynamically maintained at the bearing load zones.
The mill lubrication system includes a reservoir of oil remote from the roll stands. Oil is pumped from the reservoir through filters and a heat exchanger before being delivered to the bearings, and is returned from the bearings through a drainage network back to the reservoir.
Those skilled in the art have long recognized that certain parameters of the lubrication system are indicative of bearing operating conditions. These parameters include the pressures and temperatures of oil entering the bearings, bushing temperatures, and the temperatures and flow rates of oil exiting the bearings. However, a comprehensive system has yet to be provided for monitoring and interpreting signals representative of such parameters, and for generating appropriate warnings when those parameters drift outside of safe operational ranges.